Why do people use bacopa monnieri?

People who self-experiment with bacopa often state they use it to improve their:

• Memory
• Learning
• Intelligence
• Focus
• Nervousness
• Mindfulness
• Mood

See the table of benefits above to get an overview of what the scientific evidence says about the effectiveness of bacopa monnieri for these purposes.

What substances may stack well with bacopa monnieri?

There's no high-quality research on the effects of combining bacopa monnieri with other substances, such as nootropic drugs or supplements. The safety and efficacy of the below-listed combinations are supported only by anecdotal reports.

People tend to report better effects from bacopa monnieri when they use:

• Gotu kola
• Cordyceps
• Fats - Such as Omega 3, Walnut, Olive oil, or medium-chain triglycerides
• The pre-made stack MindLab Pro
• The pre-made stacks Neurostim and Neurochill

Before combining any drugs or supplements, talk with your trusted medical professional about the risks involved.

What time of day should you take bacopa?

There's no scientific evidence available to make decisions based on regarding which time of day to take bacopa for optimal results. Some users report stimulating effects, while others report sedating effects, meaning it is best to self-experiment with an open mindset as regards when during the day to take it. If you feel sedated, taking it before sleep is probably better than in the morning, and if you feel stimulated, it is likely best to take it in the morning to prevent sleep problems.

There's no evidence that bacopa impairs sleep. In fact, some users report improved sleep quality and more vivid dreams when they use bacopa.

How long does it take for bacopa monnieri to work?

Certain benefits may be experienced in the first days or weeks of bacopa monnieri use, but most of the benefits will likely arrive first after continuous daily use. Some studies suggest that its memory-enhancing effects take at least 12 weeks to kick in fully.

How should I store my bacopa monnieri product?

One study found that bacopa monnieri plant material is best used fresh or when stored in cool, dark places for up to three months.

"The study indicated that BM plant material should be used fresh to obtain maximum concentration of active saponins or it should be stored under LS conditions up to 3 months." [26]

This means that if you're looking to see if bacopa works for you, a 12 week supply is the best purchase decision.

Twelve weeks is the amount of time studies have shown is needed for maximum benefits of bacopa, and anything you don't consume within the first 12 weeks of purchasing a product might be of reduced quality.

Which are the active ingredients in bacopa monnieri?

The active ingredients in Bacopa Monnieri of primary interest for nootropic use purposes are the bacosides.

Bacosides exist in both A and B form. Generally, it is not relevant when looking for a product to know the difference. In most cases, all you need to know is the amount of total bacosides in the product, so that you can dose the product appropriately in a way that ensures that you get the right amount of total bacosides.

If you want to learn more about the active ingredients in Bacopa Monnieri, here we go.

"Bacoside A, a major active principle of Bacopa monnieri known for its cognitive effects is a mixture of saponins like bacoside A3, bacopaside II, isomer of bacopasaponin C and bacopasaponin C." [27]

So Bacoside A is not one substance. In fact, it is a mixture of different chemicals called saponins.

Products with standardized amounts of bacosides tend to contain the right amounts of the different chemicals of interest, which is the reason why we recommend that you just try to make sure that the product you're buying contains adequate amounts of bacosides. This is especially the case for branded and patented extracts such as Synapsa, or Bacognize, which also tend to have more research in humans.

The identifying features of Bacoside B seem less clear, and there's still research going on aiming to achieve better clarity on its components and functions. [29]

Another chemical constituent of Bacopa powders and extracts of interest to researchers is Bacopaside I, which increased scores on behavioral measures of mood in mice [30].

There are a lot of other chemicals in Brahmi which may or may not be responsible for its cognitive-enhancing effects. One study found 52 bioactive compounds in bacopa monnieri, all with potential relevance to the treatment of neurological diseases [31].

Which form of Bacopa Monnieri should I consume?

These bacopa extracts have been used in human studies on the cognitive and affective effects of Bacopa Monnieri:

• Bacomind [32]
  • This product is standardized to contain total bacoside saponin content of 40%-50% [33]
  • It has been studied in 300mg [5] and 450mg doses [1]
  • Bacomind was found ineffective for improving measures of nervousness and memory in one study [35] and effective for memory enhancement in another study [34]
• KeenMind® (CDRI 08) [3]
  • This product contains no less than 55% bacosides [39]
  • It has been studied in 300mg [40][9], 320mg [42][38] and 640mg doses [44][43]
  • CDRI 08 improved cognitive performance during the day of use in several studies [45][47], after 90 days in one study [41], and after 5 and 12 weeks [49]
• Bacognize [8]
  • Contains 45% Bacopa saponins [50]
  • It has been studied in 300mg doses [51]
  • Bacognize was effective for cognitive enhancement after 6 weeks of daily use in healthy humans [52]

Other patented (such as Synapsa), and non-patented extracts have also been studied for cognitive enhancement. They were also usually found effective. What the most effective Bacopa products seem to have in common is a high bacoside content (40-60%).

Synapsa is another Bacopa Monnieri extract with several placebo-controlled studies in healthy humans showing it enhances cognitive performance. [55]

You can buy Synapsa from our affiliate partner Mind Nutrition.

How does bacopa monnieri work?

The neuropsychopharmacological effects of bacopa monnieri's active ingredients have not yet fully been discovered by researchers.

Cholinergic, serotonergic, and dopaminergic mechanisms of action of bacopa have been proposed. Steven Roodenrys, a lead researcher of a placebo-controlled study on bacopa monnieri, suggested that hippocampal neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons in a brain area called the hippocampus, is a mechanism of action of bacopa that is worth further investigation.

The takeaway here is that there's a need for more research on how exactly bacopa monnieri works in the brain to enhance cognition.

What do scientists say about the use of bacopa to improve memory and learning?

Prominent nootropic researcher Steven Roodenrys commented on the Nootralize podcast regarding his 2002 study which examined the chronic effects of Bacopa Monnieri that there were a lot of tests done in the study he was involved in. This led him to doubt the effects found from bacopa when compared with placebo since conducting a lot of tests increases the risk of having some false positives.

The fact that the auditory verbal learning test was the test for which positive effects were found from bacopa monnieri compared with placebo strengthened his belief in the efficacy of bacopa for enhancement of certain aspects of cognitive functioning. He argues that since that test draws upon cognitive functions that have been improved by nutritional interventions in other studies and animal models, it is plausible that it would be sensitive to the cognitive effects of bacopa.

According to Roodenrys, Bacopa Monnieri is helpful for encoding and storing new information, the sort of learning that one is required to engage in when studying for an exam.

It does not appear as effective for memory enhancement related to recall of information that is already in memory, such as tasks to be done (prospective memory) or names of people.

Above on this page, you can find a table of benefits based on several placebo-controlled studies on Bacopa. We created it for you to get a quick overview of the benefits of bacopa monnieri, based on the strongest science available.

How does it feel when you take Bacopa Monnieri?

The following qualitative user experience reports and reviews are included to give you an understanding of what the experience of taking Bacopa Monnieri is like.

Anecdotal Bacopa Monnieri experience reports and reviews from Reddit

One person said they experienced the following:

"In contrast to other people on this thread I found it marginally stimulating. The stimulation is very subtle hence its not beneficial to cognition. The anxiolytic were quite good for the initial 2 - 3 weeks. I felt lesser cravings for cigarettes during that period. [...] But now it has started to make me feel depressed. So I will be discontinuing it." [61]

Several people have reported reduced motivation and increased fatigue as a side effect from Bacopa monnieri. [62][63]

And another Redditor reported improved memory after 2 months of daily use. [64]